Mostly just food and occasionally some other stuff too

January 15, 2016

Vegan Choc-Hazelnut “Brownies”

I really tossed up whether to call these brownies or not. While they are as rich and fudgy as their namesake, they definitely lack the crusty top that makes a brownie…well, a brownie. So take the name with a pinch of salt. Expect a fudgy, spongy ~cake~ type creation that you can only eat a small portion of or you’ll wind up feeling ill (speaking from experience as always).

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp chia seeds

6 tbsp water

¾ cup hazelnut meal*

¾ cup plain flour

4 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch salt

1.5 cups vanilla soy milk* (I used So Good)

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup vegan butter (I used Nuttelex)

Extra hazelnuts for decoration (optional)

METHOD

Preheat oven to 170ºC

Create chia eggs by combining chia seeds and water in a small bowl and leave to gel for at least 15 minutes

Sift hazelnut meal, flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and mix to combine

Add milk and melted butter, stir to combine, ensuring there are no lumps (I used a whisk at this stage)

Add chia eggs and stir again

Line a slice tin (~20x20cm but no stress if slightly different) with baking paper and place mixture in tin. Top with extra hazelnuts and bake for 20-25 minutes. The cake is cooked when a skewer comes out clean, however can overcook very quickly – it still needs to have a slight ‘jiggle’

Leave to cool completely in tin before slicing. Enjoy!

* Hazelnuts and hazelnut meal are both quite expensive, so feel free to change this to almond meal. You won’t get the hazelnut taste, but it will still be nutty

* Feel free to replace the soy milk with your preferred non-dairy milk of choice. If you’re using an unsweetened milk, you may have to adjust the sugar content, but taste your batter and adjust according to your personal preferences